How do you throw a slurve?

A:

Quick Answer

A slurve is thrown by placing the index and middle fingers together on top of the ball where the seams connect. Without bending it, the thumb is positioned on the bottom of the ball, according to Steven Ellis, former Chicago Cubs pitcher. The pitch may also be tossed with a curveball grip thrown at a 45-degree angle.

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Another way to throw a slurve is to place the fingers together on the right seam on top of the baseball. The thumb is then moved up the ball, close to the index finger, while the ring and pinky fingers are positioned on the side of the ball. The ball should be thrown at full speed, while snapping the wrist hard.

The breaking pitch differs from the traditional curveball in that it features a more horizontal break than the 12-to-6 o'clock movement of the curve.

New York Yankees reliever Dellin Betances credits the slurve with saving his pitching career. After struggling to throw the breaking ball for strikes, Betances adjusted the tilt of his wrist in throwing the pitch. Regularly pitching the slurve in the mid-upper 90s with accuracy, he became the first rookie pitcher ever to record 50 strikeouts through his team's first 50 contests, according to Elias Sports Bureau.